dimanche 3 juillet 2011

Mathematical Ecologist Ph.D. position on spatial knowledge in human hunter-gatherers

Hiring Organization:
Max Planck Institute for evolutionary Anthropology


Position Description:
We are looking for a PhD candidate for a project comparing spatial knowledge of human hunter-gatherers with wild chimpanzees.

The project will be carried out in the broader framework of improving our understanding of the natural spatial skills required for foraging in the tropical environment by modern hunter-gatherer and trying to compare them with our long-term project on the spatial knowledge and cognition of the Taï chimpanzees. This project is a joint collaborative project of Christophe Boesch with Barry Hewlett of Vancouver (USA) and Frank Marlowe of Durham University (UK). The candidate will be primarily responsible for integrating track-log data of hunter-gatherer forays with maps of resources and simulate alternative cognitive strategies to test hypotheses related to the extent and detail of spatial knowledge.

Work Schedule:
- Starting in the fall 2011

Qualifications/Experience:
Qualifications/Requirements:
MSc (or comparable degree) in Mathematics, Ecology or Cognitive Sciences. Excellent working knowledge of or ability to quickly acquire: the theoretical and methodological approaches to spatial analysis and statistics (e.g. home range utility distributions; power distributions, random walks, and Levy flights; general ideas of spatial autocorrelation); create and use agent based models; and developed experience with analyzing and integrating GIS and GPS based data will be favored. Ability to program in a language such as R or Matlab (or comparable).

Salary/funding:
The candidate will be supported by a stipend.

Term of Appointment:
Three to four years

Comments:
Applications including a cover letter stating research experience and interests, detailed curriculum vitae, and the names and e-mail addresses of two referees should be sent electronically. The evaluation process will start immediately and applications will be accepted until position is filled.

Contact Information:
Boesch Christophe
Deutscher Platz
Leipzig 04103
Germany

Telephone Number:
00 49 341 3550 200

Website:
http://www.eva.mpg.de/primat

E-mail Address:
boesch@eva.mpg.de